Simple Beginnings
by mochachill
Summary: Trip and Hoshi make a date. (SD)


Simple Beginnings

Author: mccool21(S.D) (Susan217)  
Email: mccool21@yahoo.com  
Code: Tu/S

Rating: G  
Genre: Romance/Challenge (LD), "Conversations that start like this can't be good."  
Summary: Trip and Hoshi make a date.

A/N: This is a solo fic. Just my take on how Trip asking Hoshi out might go.

Beta: CJ

Trip looked at the PADD in his hand for what must have been the hundredth time that hour. His eyes felt grainy from exhaustion, and his neck was stiff as a board. He leaned back in the mess hall chair to straighten out the kinks in his back. 

He looked up at the rooms only other occupant, Hoshi, who sat at the table to the left of his. She had PADDs strewn out in front of her. She too looked tired and haggard. Her hair had long since fallen almost out of its binding, and she appeared to be having trouble holding her head up. 

They had been working for 10 hours on deciphering the alien text they had come across on the empty M-class planet. The items they'd found included plans for constructing something that they hadn't yet identified. The Captain had made it clear that the sooner it was ready the better. The UT was having some problems with the language, so Trip had enlisted Hoshi for help.

"Hoshi?" 

Her head snapped up in surprise.

"Oh my god. I forgot I wasn't alone," she said, laughing softly.

Trip smiled tiredly.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to spook ya. I was gonna say why don't you call it a night. You've got an early shift tomorrow. I don't want the Cap'n mad at me for keepin' his linguist out all night." 

"Are you quitting?" Hoshi asked, standing and stretching.

"Naw. I'm gonna work a little longer, but you go get some sleep."

Hoshi smiled.

"I'm going to get some coffee. We're a team, Commander. If you work, I work," she said as she walked to the dispenser.

"Well then, it looks like it's time for us both to have a break," Trip said. He smiled and stood, walking to the dispenser.

"Coffee, black, two," Hoshi said.

Trip leaned back against a nearby table, waiting for his drink. 

"I really appreciate you doin' this, Hosh," he said.

She picked up the coffees and handed one to him.

"It's my job."

"I know, I know. But you don't have to be working at it like you are." 

They walked back to Trip's table. Trip scooted some PADDS aside and Hoshi sat down next to him, both of them facing the windows. Hoshi pulled another chair over to put her feet up causing her to bump into Trip's arm. Trip smiled at her and then looked out the window. The planet they had just left lay below them, gleaming a bright purplish hue. 

"I know that doesn't look like Earth, but something about it reminds me of home," Trip said, sipping at his coffee. 

"I think as long as we've been out here, everything is beginning to look like home," Hoshi replied, smiling sadly. "I think it's the people, not the planet we miss."

Trip chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Hoshi yawned loudly.

"Hoshi, go to bed," Trip said, laughing.

"I'm fine," she said irritably.

Trip laughed again. "Somebody gets crabby when they're tired."

Hoshi started to argue, but began to giggle instead. "I usually rotate between angry and slap happy when I'm tired."

Trip watched her for a moment, tilting his head as he looked at her.

"You look different when your hair is down," he said quietly.

Hoshi flushed and pulled it the rest of the way loose from its restraints. 

"I know. I hear that all the time. Hoshi, your hair looks better down," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't say that. I said different. You look beautiful either way to me," Trip said. His eyes widened and he cleared his throat, quickly grabbing a PADD.

"Guess we should dive back in, huh?" he said.

Hoshi was staring at him in stunned silence.

"Oh. Probably," she said, grabbing a PADD.

There was quiet for a minute, then Trip spoke again.

"Can I ask you something?"

Hoshi stopped reading and his eyes shifted to hers. 

"Conversations that start like this can't be good," she said.

"Well, never mind," Trip said quickly. 

Hoshi touched his arm lightly. "Ask me."

"Is there anyone waitin' for you back on Earth?" he said, his face flaming while he tried to sound as if he was asking about something as simple as the weather. His attempt fell flat and he coughed to cover up his embarrassment.

Hoshi's face burned as well. "Just my family."

"Oh," Trip said, still poking needlessly at a PADD. He was fidgeting in his seat.

Hoshi unconsciously tried to comb her hair down.

Trip cleared his throat. 

"Ya know, I think they're showin' Mad Max tomorrow night in here. I haven't seen it, but it's got the late great Mel Gibson. Anyway, I was thinkin' if you wanted to, I mean if you aren't busy, and if you're not too tired from this, maybe we could, ya' know…go," he said.

"Yes." Hoshi spoke quickly and then laughed lightly. "Yes, that would be fun."

"Great," Trip said, looking back to his PADD.

Hoshi was smiling goofily. Then her smile lessened and she looked at him oddly.

"Trip?"

"Yeah?" he said, tossing the PADD down.

"Is this going to be a date or as friends?"

Trip frowned. "Well, I was thinkin' a date…but if you're more comfortable…"

"No, no. A date is fine. Fine," Hoshi said, smiling again.

"Whaddaya say we call it a night?" Trip said, glancing at the PADDS, now disinterested.

"Yes, OK," Hoshi said, smiling. Trip grabbed PADDS and they walked to the mess hall doors together. They looked at each other awkwardly.

"Well, thanks for your help," he said.

"Yes, no problem."

"I'll come by your quarters around seven."

"What about the schematics?" Hoshi asked.

"Oh. I'll see ya in the morning, too." He grinned goofily. 

"OK. See you then," Hoshi said. She looked up at him and quickly, but briefly, wrapped her fingers around his upper arm, squeezing lightly. 

She walked through the door and they closed behind her. 

Trip stood alone in the mess hall. He smiled to himself and glanced down at the schematics that still needed work. 

Jon entered the room. He looked at Trip strangely, noticing the wide smile and the massive amount of PADDS he was holding.

"What did I miss?" Jon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Trip looked at Jon and thought of how beautiful Hoshi was.

"Somethin' great. Remind me I owe ya won."

Trip turned and walked out the door, leaving a perplexed Captain shaking his head. 


End file.
